Before she can rest.

It had been a long, hard day, even by Atlantis standards. AR-1 had been on a routine meet and greet mission, but instead of the thriving villages they had expected to find, they had been met by a community reeling from a recent wraith attack. Immediately joining in with the rebuilding efforts, providing aid from Atlantis and offering what comfort they could the Lanteans had made a significant difference to the people's physical wellbeing. But there was very little that could be done to help them deal with the emotional trauma of a culling, and it took a toll on the visitors as well as the locals.

Telya sighed, exhausted, wishing for the solitude and quiet of her quarters. However she made her way through the dimly lit corridors to the gym, knowing that she would not be able to relax just yet. As expected, when she reached her destination she could hear the clashes and grunts of a sparring session. Pausing in the doorway she watched as John, shirt stuck to his back with sweat, circled Ronon, before launching another fierce flurry of blows. He was too tense, she noted critically, and there was an air of desperation to his attack so unlike his normal controlled style. Ronon, his face impassive though his eyes were compassionate and understanding, absorbed the force of Sheppard's hits easily with his own sticks. Teyla felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the explorers from Earth. As a native of the Pegasus galaxy she had grow up with the reality of the wraith, and had faced scenes like today countless times. It wasn't that she was unaffected, but it was a way of life, and all she knew. The expedition members stood the horror as best they could, but everyone reached points where they became overwhelmed and needed an outlet, a release. For some that translated into doing their very best to beat a sparring partner to pulp. Others managed by talking, running, anything that helped them deal with the reality they faced. She admired them for their compassion, for the way they would always offer help to those who needed it. And she admired them for continuing the fight, even on the days when it was killing them inside to do so. Ronon glanced up and met her eyes with a brief nod. She turned and left, knowing that he would make sure Sheppard was alright.

With no hesitation she set off again, knowing exactly where McKay would be despite the late hour. Seeing the light still on in his lab as she rounded the corner, Telya smiled wryly. Rodney was quite capable of forgetting that there was a world outside his doors when engrossed in work. He was most comfortable in a lab, so in times of stress that was where he retreated, letting his brilliant mind churn out ideas rather than face painful memories. Tapping lightly on the doorframe she entered and sat on a stool without waiting for an invitation. Rodney glanced up, the annoyed look on his face fading as he saw who had broken his concentration, although his only greeting was a grunt. As he shuffled some of the papers he had been scrawling on into a slightly more tidy pile, Teyla removed a mug from next to his elbow, sniffed it then went and dumped it down the sink.

"Hey!" McKay protested, "What did you do that for?"

"You do not need more coffee, Rodney."

He muttered something under his breath, which she decided to ignore.

"What are you working on?" She asked, indicating the heap he had moved.

"Well, I was just looking over a translation from the database, it seems to be instructions on how the ancients designed the star drive." As he spoke Rodney's voice became more animated, his hands describing shapes in the air.

"Tell me." Teyla said, smiling a little at his look of surprise. Needing no further prodding he launched into a detailed description of the plans. She leaned on the desk with one arm and listened, finally relaxing now that she was satisfied her team would be ok.